Luminous pile fabric floor covering



June 17, 1958 H. E. WADELY LUMINOUS PILE FABRIC FLOOR COVERING FiledJan. 2'7, 195 5 awe/mm )M6 M M 2,sss,76z

LUMINOUS PILE FABRIC FLOOR COVERING Harold E. Wadely,Irvington-on-the-Hudson, N. Y., as-

signor to The Firth Carpet Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporationof New York Application January 27, 1955, Serial No. 484,403,

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-278) This invention relates to a textile fabric floorcovering produced by weaving or other known methods and embodying aspecial kind of spun yarn having the property of phosphorescence andarranged in the pile surface of the fabric so as to provide designeffects and, in some instances, to provide instruction, entertainment,and guidance.

The term phosphorescent refers to the continuous emission of light froma substance without any apparent rise in temperature produced afterexposure to heat, light, or other radiant energy.

A novel spun textile, phosphorescent yarn as used in 2,838,762 PatentedJune 17,

2 ning is such that it will continue to glow with substantial intensityfor a given time, dependent upon the particular phosphorescent materialused in the impregnation of the yarn fibers. The fascinating display inthe dark of brightly colored pandas, clowns, ducks, blocks, other toys,Mother Goose figures, and the like, will mildly entertain the childuntil sleep overcomes him. This desirable routine proceeds without thepresence of grownups or any conversation between parent and childtending to stimulate wakethe pile surface of this floor covering isfully disclosed in my copending patent application Serial No. 484,568,filed January 27, 1955, and entitled Phosphorescent Yarn. While completedetails of this novel yarn and of the process of making the same are setforth in said prior application, it will be briefly noted that suchyarn, which may be single or plied, is prepared by impregnating the yarnfibers with any one of several phosphorescent materials in particle formcontained in a solution with a light-transmitting binder that acts tosurround the particles for protection against abrasion. The spun yarnmay be made of any one of the available animal, vegetable or artificialtype fibers, or any desired blend thereof. In a preferred embodiment,wool fibers are impregnated with a solution of zinc sulphide containingphosphorescent pigment, casein binder, and polyvinyl acetate. A range ofphosphorescent pigment colors is available. I

One of the principal uses for pile fabrics incorporating suchphosphorescent yarn is in childrens rooms or nurseries where thepleasing effect of a glow of low intensity will provide a desirablesubstitute for brighter electric lights and be conducive to sleep, andto the dissipation of any nighttime fears.

It will also be appreciated that carpet and rugs embodying thisparticular phosphorescent spun yarn can be used for a number of-otheruseful purposes in theatres, hospitals, and the like.

The details of the pile fabric floor covering of this invention and anumber of the uses and advantages thereof will be more fully understoodfrom the following detailed description when taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, which consists of a plan view of a nursery rughaving numerous ornamental figures and designs formed by the specialyarn embodying the phosphorescent material.

When the electric lights are turned off in the ordinary well-illuminatednursery, the child may turn his gaze toward the ornamental andphosphorescently displayed features of his rug and enjoy the comfort ofviewing familiar objects and pictures. The phosphorescent property ofthe yarn used in the illustrated rug is such that the various figuresand designs are all plainly visible in the otherwise dark room. Thecharging of the phosphorescent material that will be produced by normalexposure to daylight and electric light during the course of the day andearly evefulness rather than to encourage sleep.

It will also be understood that the novel yarns used for the purposesmentioned herein are entirely harmless and free from allergy-producingingredients. In those in stances where a child may be allergic to woolthe pile yarns will be of other materials such as rayon, nylon, orcotton, by way of example.

Elaborating on the other suggested uses of textile floor coverings ofthis nature, it will be appreciated that there are numerous applicationsin hospitals and idustrial plants where directive lighting of the kindprovided can be used to guide patients and nurses, or laboratoryworkers, as the case may be, and in numerous other ways for theprevention of accidents. For example, a two-tone stair carpet having adark center and a narrow phosphorescent band in a lighter color alongeach edge will provide edges which clearly delineate the stairs in thedark.

Although skein-dyed phosphorescent yarn impregnated with the materialsset forth above is satisfactory for loop yarn use in pile fabrics, stockdyed yarns have been found best for out pile fabrics or areas because ofthe more homogeneous impregnation, or dispersion.

In plied yarns the amount of impregnated phosphorescent pigment may bedifferent in the several plies.

In the embodiment of this invention as illustrated in the drawing, therug is of conventional Axminster weave, only the pile yarn appearingwhitish on the drawingis spun from wool fibers, that have beenimpregnated by use of a liquid mixture for imparting phosphorescentproperty to the yarn fibers, and comprising zinc sulphide withphosphorescent base pigment, Decerosol OT, and a lighttransmittingbinder solution of casein, water, borax,

Dowicide G, and polyvinyl acetate emulsion. The Decerosol OT is 25%aqueous, and comprises an ester of sulfo-dicarboxylic acid set forth inU. S. Patent No. 2,028,091. Other impregnants are specified in my saidapplication Serial No. 484,568. It is to be noted that Dowicide G is asodium salt of pentachloraphenol.

The pile yarn covering the face may be loop tufts, or pile tufts, or anycombination thereof, and varying in height if desired.

In accordance with the teachings of this invention there has thus beenprovided a pile fabric floor covering comprising phosphorescent yarnhaving the phosphorescent pigment dispersed therein and protected fromabrasion by enclosure in the light-transmitting binder composition.Further protection of the pigments in part of the phosphorescent pileyarn may be obtained by making pattern or design areas of such yarn ofsubstantially less height than adjacent unimpregnated or lessimpregnated pile yarn.

It will be understood by those skilled in this art that the inventionherein disclosed may be varied in numerous ways in adapting it todifferent uses and purposes without departing from the inventiveprinciples and scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as novel and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A textile fabric floor covering comprising a design defining coveredface formed by tufts of pile yarn of greater and lesser heights, onlythe pile tufts of lesser height being impregnated with zinc sulphidecontaining phosphorescent base pigment, casein binder, and lighttransmitting syn- 2,169,657 Millson Aug. 15, 1939 thetic resincomprising polyvinyl acetate, whereby the de- 2,450,085 Gantner Sept.28, 1948 sign will be visible in darkness and protected against wear.FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited in the file of this patent 5 731,893France Sept. 9, 1932 Great Brltaln NOV. 22,

2,042,503 Carter June '2, 193.6

